Incorrigible, arrogant rake. That is all he is.
And yet he cared about the workhouse—unless that whole promise was a front to get her into his b?—
Elinor shut that thought down with burning cheeks.
But the duke already spun away, striding through the room to peer up at the cabinet on the far left wall. He read the spines of books there.
“It will be easy for me to convince others,” he said, as if he had not just tugged the usually very secure, firm floor from beneath Elinor’s feet. “The only question that remains is …” He turned on his heel to her. “Canyoupretend?”
“And will we only be pretending for the ton’s eyes?”
He gave an amused laugh. “Think of it as a performance, Lady Elinor. I imagine a woman like you has had to pretend to be composed when you wish to express your anger. Every lady in those ballrooms does. And with the way your stepmother is, I imagine you have had to mask plenty of parts of yourself to survive. So, see it as that way, a little play. I provide the script and direction; you just need to be my perfect actress.”
There was something about that comment that sent a shiver down Elinor’s spine that she loathed.
My perfect actress.
She was a lover of sciences, of reading—she was no actress, no good liar.
“I am not a good liar,” she told him, voicing her thought.
“It’s only for a short while,” he assured her. “I will smooth over any holes you may create with that shortcoming.”
Elinor scowled in offense, but the duke went on. “Once the Season is over, we will break it off, and then you may do whatever you wish to do next. Perhaps you can continue teaching. Or even marry.”
“After our engagement is off, nobody will come near me. They will wonder why we did not follow through.”
“On the contrary, I imagine this pretense will get you more interested suitors finally seeing you. If you are good enough for a duke, as we will convince them, plenty of gentlemen will be curious to see what I was after. That sounds good, no?”
He sounded terribly mocking, and Elinor clenched her jaw, rolling her eyes. “You must understand that the only thing I care about is teaching those children.”
The duke nodded, smiling more genuinely at her. “I do. Very much so. Do we have an agreement, Lady Elinor?”
Elinor straightened her spine, extending her hand. “We do.”
He paused at her offered hand, his mouth quirking. “Oh, darling, our kind of agreement is not sealed with a handshake.”
Elinor froze. “Then, what is it sealed with?”
“A kiss, dear Lady Elinor,” he purred. Before she could say anything, ignoring how inflamed her face was, the duke finally took her hand and swiftly kissed it.
But his mouth remained on her skin, and Elinor’s body stirred in a way she had never experienced.
Her breath quickened as the duke looked up from where he bent over her hand. She felt his smirk against her knuckles right before he let go.
“What, did you want more, my lady?”
Elinor cleared her throat, keeping her chin high. “No, I was merely worried about propriety. Of course I did not want more, and especially not with a man who clearly is too well-versed in the ways of charming a lady.” She let herself widen her own smile. “And what you will find out, well and truly, is that I am not like other ladies.”
“That is my favorite sort.” His eyes flashed. “I will do whatever you desire. All you have to do is ask nicely, Lady Elinor—but nicely, of course.” He leaned in closer, his hands back casually in his pockets. “I think the wordpleasewould suit that pretty mouth of yours.”
Heavens.
Elinor swallowed, clearing her throat, and she turned to fiddle with the paperweight she had knocked over earlier, trying to distract her new, wild thoughts.
From behind her, she heard footsteps retreating, the floorboards creaking. “Meet me in Hyde Park in two days for a morning promenade. Dress in …” He turned back to her, and Elinor’s breath labored, waiting to be told to dress pretty. He only looked at her dress up and down. “This sort of thing. I am rather fond of the unconventional ways of it. It is refreshing from the women who dress in gaudy things to distract a man from their bland personalities.”
Elinor almost laughed at that, but she nodded, finding herself surprised by his dislike of the ton’s flourish and performance.
